★★★★★ – “One of the best thrillers this decade.”

A task force enlists FBI agent, Kate Macer (Blunt), to eradicate a cartel operation responsible for a bomb that had killed members of her team. What follows is a twist of events that lead to a mysterious character called Alejandro (Del Toro). He is described as “sicario” which is Spanish for “hit-man”.

It’s worth noting that this film is no action flick. Nor should you think so. Villeneuve is a director who uses a perfect blend of story and imagery, never letting the viewer lose grasp of what’s happening on screen. If you’ve seen previous films of his, you know what you’re getting into. The directing is incredibly good and well-paced. The visuals are stunning.

The cast shines throughout each of their performances, with the highlights of Blunt and Del Toro. There were also a few nice surprises from Jon Bernthal and Daniel Kaluuya, who also gave great performances.

The score by Jóhan Jóhannsson is tense, gritty and dark. It really helps pull the picture together. Everything you see on screen is portrayed beautifully in the music, using a nice array of instruments and sound design to keep you on the edge of your seat.

The writing felt realistic and aided the actors with depth to their characters. If the script was bad then the film simply wouldn’t be as great as it is. That’s the standard for any film.

Sicario is a must-see for fans of high-octane thrillers and gruesome story-telling. If you’re looking for an action packed flick, this is not the film for you.

Denis Villeneuve returns after his 2 year feature-absence with true style and this proves that he is now one of the most talented and masterfully intelligent directors around.